Key facts
- A nine-year-old Australian girl, Hania Ahmed, was killed and her brother injured when Pakistani police opened fire during a robbery response.
- The incident occurred while the family was visiting relatives in Chakwal, Punjab province.
- Police from the crime control department (CCD) fired machine guns at the family's car.
- Hania Ahmed's father, Adeel Ahmed, is demanding justice and that those responsible be punished.
- An officer involved has been suspended, arrested, and remanded to judicial custody.
- The Australian Prime Minister has called for a transparent investigation.
A nine-year-old Australian girl, Hania Ahmed, was killed and her 11-year-old brother, Aafan, was injured when officers from Pakistan's newly formed Crime Control Department (CCD) opened fire with machine guns during a robbery response. The family was visiting relatives in Chakwal, Punjab province, when robbers confronted them outside their great-uncle's home. Shortly after the family agreed to hand over possessions, CCD officers arrived and began firing, hitting both the robbers and the family's fleeing car. Hania was struck by four bullets and died before reaching the hospital. Her father, Adeel Ahmed, who was reportedly shot twice but not seriously injured, has demanded justice and that those responsible be punished to prevent future tragedies and reduce the perceived danger posed by the CCD. Police stated an officer mistakenly believed suspects were fleeing in the victims' vehicle and discharged his weapon without positive identification, a grave violation of CCD rules. The officer involved has been suspended, arrested, and remanded to judicial custody, with police promising a thorough investigation. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also called for a transparent probe. The CCD, created in May, has faced criticism from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, which alleged the unit has adopted 'encounter killings' as a policy, leading to hundreds of deaths in the province.